Police have confiscated drugs worth an estimated R116 million in two huge busts in the past week.

In the latest operation, officers arrested 19 people near Pinetown in KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend for possession of drugs worth an estimated R41 million. Police believe the suspects are part of a larger syndicate which manufacture and distribute drugs around the country.

Last week two people were arrested for possession of drugs with a street value of more than R75 million. The suspects are believed to have been part of a syndicate distributing drugs between Tanzania and South Africa. The police's Solomon Makgale said authorities are clamping down on criminals this festive season.